US Lacey Act Declarations for Wooden Handicrafts from India: A 2026 Buyer Guide

Oct 10

6 min read

If you import carved wooden bowls, boxes, figurines or furniture into the United States, your customs entry will almost certainly need a Lacey Act plant product declaration. The data comes from your supplier, but the filing is your responsibility as the importer. This guide explains what the law requires, which wooden handicrafts are covered as of October 2026, and what information to request from an Indian exporter before shipment.

What the Lacey Act requires

The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to import, sell or buy plants and plant products that were taken in violation of a US state law or a foreign law, including rules on theft, protected areas, harvesting permits, taxes and export restrictions (16 U.S.C. 3372).

The same section requires a declaration at the time of import stating:

the scientific name (genus and species) of each plant in the product
the value of the import and the quantity of plant material
the country where the plant was harvested

If the species or country is not known, the declaration must list each possible species or country (16 U.S.C. 3372). Plant material used only as packaging, such as pallets and crates carrying other goods, is exempt unless the packaging is itself the product being imported (APHIS).

APHIS also expects importers to use due care, which it describes as the care "a reasonably prudent person would take under the same or similar circumstances". The law does not prescribe specific steps, so each importer decides how to check its own supply chain (APHIS FAQ).

Which wooden handicrafts are covered in 2026

APHIS has phased in the declaration requirement by HTS code since 2009 (APHIS implementation schedule). The most relevant phases for Indian wooden handicrafts are:

Phase and start date	HTS codes relevant to handicrafts
Phase III, 1 Oct 2009	4419 wooden tableware and kitchenware; 4420 wood marquetry, caskets, statuettes
Phase IV, 1 Apr 2010	4421 other articles of wood; 940169 seats with wood frames
Phase VI, 1 Oct 2021	4415 wooden cases, boxes and crates; some wooden cases in heading 4202
Phase VII, 1 Dec 2024	Many 9403 wooden furniture codes; wood furniture parts; some 9405 lighting; all of 4412 plywood; chapter 46 basketwork

Sources for the table: the 2009 Federal Register notice (Phases III and IV), the 2021 Phase VI notice and the 2024 Phase VII notice.

Phase VII began on 1 December 2024 and added products such as furniture, housewares, tools and cork (APHIS). APHIS also said three wooden furniture codes (9403409040, 9403409060 and 9403409080) were left out in error and would be added through a future notice with six months' lead time (APHIS). APHIS says it continues to evaluate products for future phases and will announce them in the Federal Register (APHIS implementation schedule).

In practice, carved sheesham or mango wood bowls, trays, boxes, figurines, wall panels and small furniture are covered. Always check your exact 10-digit code in the APHIS Product Lookup. Our guide to documents and HS codes for Indian handicrafts explains how classification works.

The de minimis exception and resin-and-wood items

A product is exempt from the declaration if its plant material is no more than 5% of the total weight of each product unit, and the total plant material per 10-digit HTS code in the entry does not exceed 2.9 kg. The exception does not apply to CITES-listed, ESA-listed or state-protected species (APHIS).

Most epoxy resin and wood homeware (serving boards, coasters, trays) contains much more than 5% wood by weight, so plan to declare the wood component. The resin is not plant material, but the wood is. See our epoxy resin and wood homeware importer checklist for other checks.

Composite materials such as MDF, particleboard and paper still need a declaration. Where the species truly cannot be identified after due care, a special use designation may be used, but not for solid wood or thin plies of solid wood (APHIS).

How the declaration is filed

Only the importer of record or their agent, such as a customs broker with power of attorney, can file (APHIS).
ACE, the CBP system, is the primary filing method. LAWGS, the APHIS web system, is the alternative and is used for foreign trade zone entries (APHIS).
Paper is no longer accepted. Since 1 January 2026, APHIS no longer takes paper PPQ 505 or 505B forms (APHIS). The PPQ Form 505 is still a useful checklist of the data fields.
Blanket declarations covering many shipments are not allowed (APHIS FAQ).

Penalties matter. A declaration violation can carry a civil penalty of up to $250, and a knowing violation or false labelling up to $10,000, subject to inflation adjustments. Goods can be forfeited, and knowing violations can also be criminal (APHIS FAQ).

What to get from your Indian supplier

Ask for these details for every line on the commercial invoice:

Scientific name of each wood. For example, sheesham is Dalbergia sissoo and mango is Mangifera indica (ICFRE timber identification handbook). Common names alone are not enough.
Country of harvest. This is where the tree was cut, which may differ from where the item was carved.
Quantity of wood in metric units, per article or component.
Which component is wood in mixed items, such as resin-and-wood boards or wood with metal fittings.
Value per line, matching the invoice.

The PPQ 505 also lists shipment details your broker will need, such as container number, bill of lading and the manufacturer identification code (PPQ Form 505).

CITES: why sheesham needs extra attention

Sheesham is a rosewood. Since 2 January 2017, the entire Dalbergia genus has been listed in CITES Appendix II, with Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) in Appendix I (APHIS CITES timber manual). India and Nepal proposed removing Dalbergia sissoo from Appendix II at CITES CoP19 in 2022 (CITES CoP19 Prop. 47), but APHIS's current manual still treats the whole genus, apart from D. nigra, as Appendix II. India's handicraft export council also refers to Indian sheesham and rosewood as Appendix II species (EPCH Annual Report 2024-25).

What this means for buyers:

Finished products with up to 10 kg of Dalbergia wood per shipment are exempt from CITES under the current annotation (APHIS CITES timber manual). The 10 kg is counted per species, and weights of different species are not added together (US Fish and Wildlife Service).
A commercial order of sheesham items will usually exceed 10 kg. In that case the goods are CITES Appendix II regulated (APHIS CITES timber manual).
CITES-listed plant products must enter the US through a designated port, and businesses importing them need a USDA Protected Plant Permit (APHIS).
The Lacey Act de minimis exception never applies to CITES-listed species (APHIS).

Mango wood is not in the Dalbergia genus, so the rosewood listing does not apply to it.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your filing with your customs broker or APHIS before shipment.

FAQ

Do I need a Lacey Act declaration for a carved mango wood bowl?

Usually yes. Heading 4419 wooden tableware and kitchenware has been covered since October 2009 (Federal Register). Check the exact code in the APHIS Product Lookup.

Can my supplier file the declaration for me?

No. Only the importer of record or their agent, such as a customs broker, may file (APHIS). Your supplier provides the data.

Can I still send a paper PPQ 505?

No. APHIS stopped accepting paper PPQ 505 and 505B forms on 1 January 2026. File through ACE or LAWGS (APHIS).

Is sheesham wood CITES-listed?

Yes, as part of the Dalbergia genus in Appendix II. Finished products with up to 10 kg of the wood per shipment are exempt; larger shipments need CITES documents (APHIS CITES timber manual).

Working with Kraft Bharat

Kraft Bharat supplies Saharanpur wood carving in sheesham and mango wood, along with epoxy resin and wood homeware, to importers and retailers worldwide. We can share the botanical name, country of harvest and wood quantity for each line, so your broker has the data for the Lacey Act declaration, alongside full export documentation. Typical MOQs are around 500 pieces, depending on the product, with paid samples, private label options and production lead times of about 30 to 45 days. For the wider US import process, read our guide to importing handicrafts from India to the USA.